What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
Farmed and Foraged
Local and wild foods in the North Country
Maple Syrup: A Timely Tradition
Don't miss New York State Maple Weekends, March 23-24th and 30-31, 2019! Visit https://mapleweekend.nysmaple.com/ for details.
Nature Up North Christmas Tree Guide
With the holidays upon us, ‘tis the season to revisit the great Christmas tree debate: real vs. artificial? According to the American Christmas Tree Association, 80% of American Christmas tree buyers chose artificial trees in 2013. But did they make the greenest choice? Turns out it’s complicated. Artificial trees last longer, but most are made from unrecyclable, petroleum-based plastics that do not biodegrade. Most travel thousands of miles from China to reach your living room.
Garlic Mustard: An Edible Invasive
While any new green growth tends to catch my eye after a long winter, some signs of spring are less welcome than others. Over the past several years I’ve noticed an increasing occurrence of garlic mustard (Alliaria peteolata), an invasive weed native to Europe and North Africa, cropping up around the North Country each spring. True to its name, garlic mustard is in the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, and its leaves, stems, and roots have a potent garlic-horseradish flavor.
